IFA Meets Factories on Lamb Prices
Following a meeting between IFA and senior management in Irish Country Meats in Camolin, Co Wexford, IFA National Sheep Chairman Sean Dennehy said, “We left the management in ICM in no doubt about the anger among sheep farmers over the way factories have savaged lamb prices and destroyed farm incomes over the last two weeks”.
Sean Dennehy said IFA demanded the factories stabilise and restore lamb prices and stop undermining the market with price cuts.
“IFA put a strong case to ICM to increase the Bord Bia Quality Assurance bonus to 30c/kg. We also made it clear if the factories want lighter in-spec lamb, they need to pay a worthwhile price premium to farmers”.
Sean Dennehy said IFA demanded ICM abolish their unfair, across the board, clipping charges. He said across the board clipping on all lambs is totally wrong. In addition, IFA demanded that the unfair charges on scrapie and SRM on ewes are removed.
The IFA sheep farmers’ leader said the unfair anti-competitive price cutting tactics of the factories was raised at a meeting with Agriculture Minister Michael Creed earlier this week. “Minister Creed undertook to challenge the factories on the lamb price cuts and unfair charges.”
IFA National Sheep Committee delegations also met with management in Kildare Chilling this week and are due to meet with the other main processors.
